Methods Used for the Recovery of Culturable Endophytic Actinobacteria: An Overview

Endophytic actinobacteria reside in plant tissue, either in a symbiotic or mutualistic relationship, without causing any visible negative effects on the host plant. There are numerous studies indicating that the endophytic actinobacteria have the capacity to produce a wide range of secondary metabolites that are beneficial to the host. Both the distribution of actinobacteria and the assessment of their bio-prospection in plant habitat are in the initial stages of research. Actinobacteria having different cultural characteristics are obtained by using different treatments and several types of nutritional media. So, it is necessary to summarize the probable methods of isolation and surface sterilization along with validation of surface sterilization, and the possible media available to explore endophytic actinobacteria. Revalidation of surface sterilization is important for making sure that no epiphytic organisms are present. This chapter will summarize the isolation methods, the methods used for the validation of surface sterilization, and the use of different nutritional media to obtain the maximum number of endophytic actinobacteria from plant sources.